Cell Spreader

Well, if you have access to a Bunsen burner and 9″ pasteur pipettes you can quickly make a spreader of your own.

Before:

After:

Additional examples:

Video:

The video below shows how to warp the pipette with heat into the shape of a cell spreader.

More information:

First pass; place the pasteur pipette into the flame and after a few seconds the tip of the pipette will bend downwards via gravity. This is because the heat weakens the glass and the portion of the pipette which is in the flame will act like a pivot point.

The pipette will very quickly cool and you can near immediately put it back into the flame.

Second pass; as before, put the pipette into the flame and it will bend downwards via gravity.

Third pass; place the very tip of the pipette into the flame and melt it shut. If it is not closed off, the tip will fill up when you sterilize it with alcohol and will spark.